


4 Problems; 4 Rocks

by jjongorable



Series: Everyday Non AU [2]
Category: K-pop, SHINee
Genre: Jinki is scary when angry don't let jonghyun fool you, Jonghyun is a petty child sometimes, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Taemin might have went too far, Yay i wrote dialogue!, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 20:49:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11193141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjongorable/pseuds/jjongorable
Summary: The one where Jonghyun brings home four rocks and all plans fail





	4 Problems; 4 Rocks

they say there's never enough rocks on the ground to throw at all your problems. but as jonghyun walks along the sidewalk, kicking all the rocks in his way, he thinks there is. because as far as he can count, he only has four problems. 

like when minho always “forgets” that the yogurt in the refrigerator was jonghyun's, even when the latter had his name written on every side, including the top. or when minho swears on shawols that he thought his manager made him that sandwich and left it on the counter for him specifically. even when minho's manager has been on vacation and hasn't stepped foot in the dorms all weekend. or whenever minho purposely sits beside or across from jonghyun at every restaurant they visit just so he can steal jonghyun's meat when the other isn't looking. really minho is one big problem it seems only jonghyun has to deal with because it's only his food that the other wants. and quite frankly, jonghyun just wants to eat in peace sometimes and not have to sneak his food into the hallway closet to avoid the monstrous food vacuum. if jonghyun knew any better he wouldn't go around claiming that minho really had three stomachs. and that it was completely possible because how else could you need to eat that much. 

jonghyun comes across a very large rock. it's uniquely formed and jonghyun thinks it's nice in all it's bulky weirdness. so he picks it up and puts in his pocket. he doesn't know what he'll do with it but he thinks it's too nice to just leave on the ground. he starts walking again, allowing his thoughts to pick back up.

and then there's jinki, who always always hogs the tv. and it would be fine if he actually had good taste in dramas, jonghyun supposes. but the elder doesn't. whenever they're all at the dorms on an off day just wanting to relax, they can't because if jinki finds his way to the remote first (which is all the time) then they're all in for a full 16 hours of cheesy romance and jinki crossing his heart that no he's not crying he just got popcorn butter in his eyes. and it would be fine, it really would, if jonghyun didn't have his own shows to keep up with. and having only one television in the entire building meant that if he wanted to stay up to date on whether that one dude really breaks out of jail, then he'd have to go through jinki and his mile high pile of tissues. which, again, would all be swell and okay, if jonghyun wasn't grossly afraid of germs. and weeping, emotional jinki is chock full of nasty germs. and everything he touches must absolutely be disinfected at least ten minutes before jonghyun even feels comfortable stepping into the same area. and since jonghyun is too lazy to do it all, or just not dedicated enough to whatever he needs to watch, it never gets done. and instead he’s just left sulking on his bed and making his own plot. also the spoilers online are a great way to combat everything. but jonghyun really wishes that just once he’d get to finally utilize the tv for his own indulgences. 

jonghyun doesn't know what it is about this particular sidewalk, but it's filled with interesting rocks today. and as the fake-deep person he is, he believes it’s all for a reason. so he picks up the next pretty rock he sees and stuff it in his pocket with the other. he keeps walking as if he never stopped. his mind following suit.

and speaking of indulgences, kibum always decides that he needs to get his fashion fix from using jonghyun as his model. even when jonghyun thinks he already looks absolutely stunning. and really why is it only him? seriously, there's three other people in the group. kibum could go and get his fix with them and leave jonghyun alone. jonghyun doesn’t understand why he's not allowed to wear his favorite worn sweater with a pair of black jeans if he has no schedule and they're all just lazing around. taemin doesn't get a look of death when he stays in his pajamas all day. but kibum forbid if jonghyun chooses to recycle yesterday’s socks. and even when jonghyun likes to stand his ground and defend his wardrobe choices with a stern “i look fine”, kibum just clicks his tongue and mutters “if this is fine I don't want to see what terrible looks like.” then he runs his fingers down jonghyun’s chest and then other things happen and it always ends up with jonghyun changing outfits anyway and kibum picking them out and in the end he always gets his way. but it always leaves jonghyun with two times the laundry to do. 

jonghyun stops again, fascinated by fact he's come across two pretty rocks this time. he eagerly stuffs them into his other pocket, giddy that something this nice has happened to him on his daily walk.

walking means jonghyun isn’t sitting. jonghyun has started to hate sitting down and he thinks it's for a silly, yet valid reason. taemin uses jonghyun as a chair. all the time. it never fails. no amount of free room on the couch or empty chairs around the table will stop Taemin from plopping his bony bottom right on top of jonghyun's lap. jonghyun almost finds himself wondering what taemin does whenever he isn't in the room. does he choose to sit on the floor? stand? or actually utilize the furniture? jonghyun wouldn't know because whenever he goes to ask the others they all give him the exact same look and walk away. jonghyun is determined to one day find out what those raised eyebrows and side smiles mean. but in the meantime jonghyun wants to know what it is about his legs specifically that attracts taemin like a magnet. then again, jonghyun has reason to believe that this is all apart of a bigger plan the others scheme against him. because the way taemin sits flush against jonghyun's chest, bottom resting quite uncomfortably between jonghyun's legs. and the way taemin likes to turn around in jonghyun's lap, throw his arm around his shoulders, and press small, secret kisses on his neck. it’s all very unfortunate for jonghyun as most times he's left with a raging hard on and knowing looks from all the others as taemin always leave him with a peck on the cheek and a quick squeeze to jonghyun's bicep because taemin knows that it would leave jonghyun the most wrecked. but that’s really beside the point because chairs and couches and all the like were invented for a reason and jonghyun really wishes that taemin understood this. or would at least stop using jonghyun as the unlucky substitute. he's pretty sure minho would love to be the recipient of all taemin’s ministrations if the needy looks jonghyun catches being sent their way is any indication. 

jonghyun’s stopped walking a bit ago and finds himself just staring at the ground, a thought forming into an idea and bouncing around jonghyun’s mind until he's got it all worked out. he smiles as he fiddles with the four rocks in his pockets, all of different sizes textures. content and ready to go home, jonghyun turns on his heels and heads back to the dorms.

jonghyun arrives and the first thing he sees is minho basking in his sweaty, after-run glory while drinking the almond coconut mocha protein smoothie jonghyun made for himself and refrigerated so that he could enjoy it after his walk. jonghyun soundlessly walks to minho, dodges the hug from the sweaty frog and snatches his smoothie out of minho's hand. 

“jonghyun, what -”

jonghyun ignores minho's whines as he pours his own smoothie down the drain and reaches into his pocket. he feels around for the largest, roughest rock and then shoves it into minho's gaping mouth. jonghyun has to hold back his laughter as minho's eyes widen and he immediately gags, rock falling to the kitchen ground as he rushes to the sink to dry heave from disgust. jonghyun is almost turned on by the way minho’s using his pretty mouth to call jonghyun all sorts of ugly names. 

“the next time you want to eat something of mine, chew on that instead.” and jonghyun leaves a whimpering minho by the sink to go sit on the couch with jinki. almost immediately he is bombarded by taemin who he hadn't even known was in the same room and like

“where did you even come from?” jonghyun grunts as he tries to maneuver taemin off his lap.

“what was that rock thing all about? i mean, not that i’m against big things being shoved into minho's mouth, but i'd almost say that was uncalled for.” 

jonghyun snorts as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the smoothest rock he’d found. he runs it down taemin’s back just enough to have the other shudder and immediately fall off his lap onto the floor. gracefully of course, because taemin even makes falling look effortless. though the job still gets done and jonghyun finds himself smirking at a glaring taemin. there's a giggling jinki in the background and jonghyun’s eye sparkle just at the thought of harassing an unknowing jinki next.

“seriously, what's with all the fucking rocks huh?” taemin huffs and crosses his legs on the ground as he stares up at jonghyun. the latter just relaxes back into the couch, spreads his legs and pats his thighs. 

“use me as your personal chair again and i will make manager-hyung change your bed for one made out of rocks just like this one.” jonghyun throws the rock in the air and catches it like he's some kind of greaser dude who thinks he's cool cause he can toss a rock.

“pft, you can't do that.” jonghyun looks as if he’s 1000% serious and taemin remembers that one time he actually got one of the managers to change all of kibum’s shoes for ugg boots and he shivers. “jinki, tell him he can't do that.” 

jinki gives taemin a knowing look, like he just remembered the kibum incident too, and just shrugs. jonghyun is loving the aura of helplessness he feels coming from taemin as he fidgets with the hems of his sweater. the decision really shouldn't be this hard, jonghyun thinks. maybe taemin just really likes jonghyun's thighs...and neck and biceps. but no, jonghyun doesn’t necessarily like it all that much and like he knows he could've just talked to taemin about it before but he's too far gone in his pettiness now to care. 

jonghyun watches as taemin picks himself up and sits in the spot next to jinki, as far away from jonghyun as possible. he has his hands in folded in his lap with a pout on his face and jonghyun really feels bad, but he also wants to kiss his face so he leans over, ignoring taemin’s futile attempts at molding himself into jinki’s side, and brushes his cheek against taemin’s, takes his hand and gives him the rock. taemin closes his fingers around it and looks at jonghyun. 

“no hard feelings tae, i just sometimes don't feel like being your makeshift throne.”

“I - just - you're more comfortable than the couch.” taemin’s absentmindedly running his thumb along the rock’s smooth exterior. 

jonghyun nods softly. he knows that his thighs feel like pillows and whatnot. “i know. but I'm also not a couch.”

“hmph.” jonghyun leans over again and kisses taemin’s cheek and when the other doesn't flinch away he knows this talk ended much better than minho's. they can still hear the water running and minho's loud swearing from the kitchen. jonghyun feels like he’s going to pay deeply for that. 

“do I get a rock?” jonghyun looks at jinki, who’s admiring taemin’s rock. “did I do something bad too?”

jonghyun reaches into his pocket and pulls out the square rock he’d found. it was perfect he thought, all clean cut and sharp edges. he sort of holds it next to his face and wiggles his wrist.

“yes, jinki you do get a rock.” he watches jinki smile and his eyes light up before he frowns and shrinks back into the couch cushions. he holds his hand out without looking at jonghyun and receives the rock. even though jinki’s favorite drama is on right now, jonghyun knows he’s not really watching. 

“you only get a rock, jinki, because you hog the tv.” taemin flails trying to cover Jonghyun’s mouth before the words come out but he's too slow and it just results in his rock falling and rolling away. he immediately goes to fetch it, also taking the opportunity to leave the two elders by themselves because taemin knows how jinki is with his television and jonghyun may have just made a mistake.

jinki opens his mouth but closes it just as fast. instead of speaking he just crosses his arms and stares straight ahead. how jinki, jonghyun thinks. 

“are you not gonna talk about it?”

“i don't hog the tv.”

“yes you do.”

“if anyone else wanted to watch something then they could've just asked -”

“we do.”

“-or yknow what? you could all go out and buy your own damn tv with your own damn money just like how I bought this one. and like hell i'm not going to watch tv on the very expensive very nice television that i bought to enjoy my favorite shows when none of you even bother to watch anything other than youtube!”

“jinki-”

“and why is it such a big deal now, so much that I have to get a damn rock that you got from who knows where? it's not like I don't ask you guys if you want to watch anything. it's not like you all don’t always say ‘oh no jinki i'm doing this’ or ‘nah i'd rather not watch some stupid rom com just to have you cry all over me jinx’ or ooh ooh my favorite is ‘these shows will rot your brain hyung why did you even buy a tv.’ or do you not remember saying any of this jonghyun?”

jinki is quite angry. jonghyun can see the obvious as the other’s hands are in fists, his knuckles white from the strain. jinki's rock is long forgotten in his palm and jonghyun wonders for a moment if the edges are sharp enough to cut into jinki’s skin before he notices that jinki is glaring at him, waiting for an answer to his question. but jonghyun actually hadn't heard a word he said because wow that vein pulsing in jinki's forehead was doing things to jonghyun he doesn't want to admit. it takes minho walking by and sticking his tongue out at jonghyun, for the latter to fully assess the situation. 

“uhm...yes?” jonghyun just guesses at an answer and it must not have been the right one because jinki's face only hardens. 

“i’m keeping your fucking rock because i think it's pretty. but don’t even think about touching my television unless I give you permission.” jinki gets up to leave and jonghyun is still lost in the roughness of his voice before his words actually register in his brain.

“jinki wait wait wait hold up.” jonghyun fumbles wildly after the elder walking back to his room. his short strides finally match jinki’s and he grabs his wrist. when jinki stops dragging jonghyun along with him in stubbornness and stills, jonghyun moves to stand in front of him. face to face jonghyun can finally see the hurt beneath all of jinki's anger and he wants to kick himself for this. but he’s already made it this far and he barely got a word in through jinki's monologue so he thinks this is the time and if they want to hug it out in the hallway, jonghyun is all for it. 

“i'm sorry about that. i just, there's like one in a thousand dramas i actually want to watch and whenever i finally do find the time, you’re there sitting on the couch, at all times of the day, crying your eyes out over some plot story you've seen play out millions of times.”

“it’s how i relax, jonghyun. it's just the same as minho's five runs a day, and taemin’s twelve hour dance practices and kibum's two hour showers. it's just like when you have to go away and waste an entire day sleeping sometimes. watching tv is my thing jjong, you have to respect that.”

now jonghyun really feels like shit because he didn't know but he also didn't ask and it's just all one big mess that he just wants to act like this entire thing never happened. jinki sees the battle going on in jonghyun’s head and he pulls him into a hug. rubs his back and kisses his hair.

“it's okay jonghyun, I know you didn't know and didn't bother to ask. but whenever you want to watch something just, let me know ahead of time, okay?” 

jonghyun just nods into his chest and tries to keep his tears at bay because gosh is he an asshole for this. he almost doesn't feel like giving out his last rock. but when kibum pushes past them and pulls at jonghyun's shirt with a disapproving hum, jonghyun detaches himself from jinki and storms after kibum, though not before planting a soft kiss on jinki's lips and muttering a low “i’m sorry”. 

jonghyun has his fourth and final rock already in his hands and ready for attack as he follows kibum into their shared room. kibum is seated on his bed, busy with his phone as jonghyun burst into the room. 

“bummie, I have something for you.”

“the only thing I want from you right now is to take off that hideous sweater.”

“sodam bought me this sweater.”

“well, me and her are long overdue for a chat anyway.”

“bum-”

“i've been meaning to clean out your closet yknow. i was thinking about a whole new wardrobe.”

“ki-”

“this time, full of pinks and greens. we should dye your hair too. i'll have to talk to Nicole about borrowing her-”

“kibum!”

“jeez, jjongie why are you screaming?” for the first time since jonghyun stepped in the room,kibum takes his eyes off his phone, frowning. “and why are you still in that sweater?”

jonghyun walks to kibum, who puts his phone down, partly as a show that jonghyun finally has his full attention, but more so because he wants his hands free so he can rid jonghyun of that poor excuse for a top himself. kibum doesn't care that it was his favorite older sister who gifted it to jonghyun. in his opinion, it shouldn't have even been designed in the first place to even give someone the chance to buy it. 

as jonghyun comes within reaching distance kibum immediately grabs the hem of the sweater and attempts to pull it over jonghyun’s head before his wrists are caught in a tight grip. jonghyun forces Kibum’s hands away before raising his own right one and opening it above kibum’s lap.

kibum stares at the small, colorful, round thing now sitting on his lap and furrows his eyebrows. 

“what the hell is this?”

“what does it look like?”

“let me rephrase that.” kibum’s voice is low and dripping with tension. “why the hell did you just drop a rock on my gucci pants?” jonghyun isn’t intimidated. not even as kibum slowly gets up so that the rock falls to the ground and is now looking down at jonghyun quite menacingly. jonghyun notes that of all his rocks, the one he gave jinki has yet to touch the ground again. a fond smile covers his face as he thinks he’ll thank jinki with some cuddles for appreciating his rock. 

“you think this is funny?” jonghyun flinches as he feels some relatively harsh jabs at his chest. kibum really has some bony fingers.

“yea, actually i do.” jonghyun smiles big as kibum stutters over his words. 

“kim fucking jonghyun i swear on comme des garçons that i am never fixing your wardrobe again. you can go out as a sea monkey for all i care. embarrass yourself and ruin your image. i only wanted to make sure you always looked your best and now you disrespect me and my jeans. i cannot believe.”

jonghyun's smile only gets bigger as kibum utters the very words he's been wanting to hear for the longest. 

“- bet taemin will appreciate me and all my hard work. thank goodness i’m not-” 

jonghyun tunes out kibum's rant as he thinks about how he dealt with four problems all in one day. he thinks he should treat himself to his strawberry ice cream he keeps in the fridge for days like this when he feels especially proud of himself. 

jonghyun makes his way to the kitchen and digs through the freezer. he’s almost shocked to see it still there. he pulls it out while wiggling his hips a bit, just happy that he finally addressed everything that had been bothering him. whoever said rocks couldn't get the job done obviously hadn't met jonghyun. 

that’s when he feels something pinch his bottom  
Almost as if, he’d gotten bitten by something. he jumps, and most certainly did not shriek, turning to see minho, taemin, jinki, and even kibum all poised behind him. each of them with rocks in their hands, and one sitting idly at jonghyun’s feet. 

“oh no.”

jonghyun barely has enough time to put his ice cream back down before he is being attacked by tiny little rocks. he doesn't even know how they all managed to get so many in so short a time before he see them all going to taemin to refill their arsenals. he guesses that's what taemin went to go do as he and jinki settled things. 

“yah yah hey stop it! i give up!”

jonghyun only hears laughter following his shouts of defeat and rolls himself into a ball on the kitchen floor. this is so unfair. they’d all agreed that there would never be four against one. jonghyun had went to each of them personally to solve his problems, but they all decided to gang up on him and he's feeling hella attacked and now really sad and he thinks that they all must hate him now. he knows that he might not have had the best idea with the rocks but he picked the prettiest ones he could find and made sure they matched each member and he thought they’d at least like them. and he knows his execution might not have gone as great as it could have but be tried and they all know he's not the absolute best with confrontation and just he gets by the best he can. and crap, now he's sobbing with the weight of his thoughts and he doesn't hear the others laughing anymore. 

all at once he feels four sets of hand on him,patting his back and arms and legs. and he hears four different voices softly whispering to him. 

“don’t cry jjongie.”

“hey buddy, we're sorry.”

“shit why didn’t anyone tell me this was a bad idea?”

“jjong, do you want to get up?”

jonghyun nods weakly at jinki's question, knowing the other will probably pick him up and carry him to the couch like he always does when jonghyun gets like this. and jinki does. there, jonghyun quickly grabs a pillow and pulls his legs go his chest. pillow situated on top his knees so he can have a soft place to rest his head. his sobs have stopped and he’s just letting the tears fall down his face now. he looks at the four surrounding him. he’s flanked by taemin and jinki sitting on either side of him, kibum and minho are on the floor in front of him. all of them looking at him with apologies in their eyes. 

they're all silent until jonghyun takes his final sniff and then they're all talking at once and he kind of just flaps his hands at them to be quiet.

“stop apologizing. if i hadn't given you all those rocks this wouldn't have happened. i just...there were things that annoyed me and i went about addressing them all wrong.” 

jonghyun looks at minho first because he kind of got the worst of it because jonghyun wanted to be petty and it wasn't right for him to stick a dirty rock in his mouth. and he tells him this and minho just takes his hand and kisses it and tells him that he's sorry for eating his food. he tells jonghyun that it's only because his food always tastes the best to which kibum scoffs at before moving away from minho to sit on jinki’s lap, burying his face in jinki’s neck. jonghyun kind of forgoes everyone else because he already fixed things with jinki and taemin and kibum already knows he was being overdramatic. jonghyun still hopes, however, that kibum keeps his promise of using taemin as his model from now on. 

so now that everything was fixed, jonghyun kind of just leans into taemin’s side and laces his fingers with jinki’s and motions for minho to come sit with them on the couch too so that they're all connected in the big emotional cuddle. and somehow jinki is able to grab the remote amidst all the limbs and turns it on some romantic movie which no one complains about because being together like this is rare and nice and they all feel very loved. 

until minho starts snoring mid movie, and jinki’s tears start to soak jonghyun’s left leg, and taemin gets bored and starts throwing the remainder of the tiny rocks at the screen every time the main love interest shows up because he doesn't like his eyebrows, and kibum starts to comment on every scene and jonghyun just can't keep his limbs still. 

and they're all left wondering just why they put up with each other. 

but then minho is jerked awake by a particularly strong arm spasm from jonghyun and decides he'll call it a night. and then it's all sweet kisses and goodnight wishes and lingering touches and they all remember that they’re just a tiny bit in love and that makes everything okay. 

even when they all have to shake tiny rocks out of their clothes that match the tiny smiles on their faces as they walk to their rooms for the night.


End file.
